ETHIOPIA: Blood for the Guard

Eager to make his savage people seem as civilized as possible, Ethiopia’s shrewd, sharp-nosed Emperor Haile Selassie has done his best to discourage the traditional royal Guebbeur or Raw Meat Feast since this gory spectacle revolted European diplomats who attended His Majesty’s Coronation (TIME, Nov. 10, 1930). Last week, however, the menace of Fascist Italy seemed so imminent that the Emperor dared not deprive his crack Imperial Guard of the raw meat for which these tribesmen have been slavering. Though they have put off their flowing robes, donned khaki and drilled under Belgian instructors, the Imperial Guardsmen remain thoroughgoing savages.

With high appetites and eager eyes more than 8,000 responded to Haile Selassie’s invitation for a Guebbeur last week. The Emperor merely filled his palace courtyard with freshly slaughtered cattle and opened the gate. Screaming with gusto, each trooper made parallel cuts with his knife in an animal’s flanks, seized the end of the strip of flesh between his teeth, pulled with a blood-gushing rip, chewed hard. As usual, the climax of the Guebbeur came a little later when the Imperial Guard grew drunk on the hot blood and cups of potent native mead. Though obliged to attend the Guebbeur, the King of Kings consumed a minimum of savage viands, took no part in the hours of tipsy and obscene boasting about what Ethiopian soldiers are going to do to Italians.

All this was painfully embarrassing to the Emperor. Four days later, to show the sort of party of which he really approves, the 100-odd war correspondents in Addis Ababa were invited to the royal palace for a European-style dinner. Newshawks ate civilized roast chicken from the royal gold plates, drank urbane champagne from the royal crystal glasses. It was scarcely His Majesty’s fault that this exhibition of good taste was spoiled by the palace’s electric lights going out several times in the course of the meal.

Ethiopia’s only woman general, Waizeru Asegedetch, granddaughter and heir of the late Ras Tassama, climbed on her sumpter mule last week to lead her warriors toward Ogaden, a key point in the expected Ital ian advance from the south. Correspond ents noted that General Waizeru’s men, though ununiformed, were better equipped with modern rifles and machine guns than most Ethiopian levies. Her father, bearded smiling General Dedjazmatch Haptemikael, is in the field at the head of a body of troops which has already been named “The Doomed Battalion” by newshawks. All are sworn to die for their country. General Haptemikael himself is a veteran of Adowa. Already in Ogaden province was one of Ethiopia’s most effective generals, the former Turkish Commander Wahib Pasha. Long exiled by Turkey’s Dictator Kemal, “Old Eagle Beak,” as he is known— to U. S. correspondents, still clings to his Ottoman fez and grey-green World War uniform. In his charge was one of Ethiopia’s prides, a fleet of 20 U. S. motor trucks used to transport black troopers across the desert to rivers and water holes that they must soon de fend. Neither mud nor water could stop them. At a river bank 100 blacks lifted each truck to their sturdy shoulders and waded across.

“This convoy,” said General Wahib, “is an example of the tactics of the guerrillas in bush terrain where the effectiveness of poison gas and airplanes is minimized. We concede the menace of enemy starshells but the Ethiopians are masters of bayonet and sabre tactics. They are born artists with those weapons.”

Back in Addis Ababa citizens forgot the war for a moment when troops with muffled drums and arms reversed gave full military honors to the body of the Rev. Robert Ford. Originally a witch doctor from Barbados, this personage arrived in Addis Ababa many years ago with an impressivemanner and a suitcase full of goofer dust, rabbits’ feet, crocodile bones and other potent nostrums, soon worked himself up to a post of great respectability and became “the Reverend.” When not exorcising spirits, the Rev. Robert Ford played first saxophone in Emperor Haile Selassie’s imperial band. He also gave banjo lessons and read horoscopes.

Fearing air raids on the exposed royal palace, plump Empress Menen, her 14-year-old daughter Princess Tsahai and Prince Makonnen, 11, climbed into a special train and disappeared in the direction of French Somaliland. All that could be learned in Addis Ababa was that they were bound for a secret hideaway near the Danakil Desert.

Wherever the hideout is, it is a rude spot. At the last minute it was decided not to take 4-year-old Prince Sahle Selassie there, but to keep him in the royal palace with the Emperor. Crown Prince Asfa Wassan, 19, is already with the troops (TIME, Aug. 19).

The ladies of Addis Ababa started a fund last week to purchase foodstuffs for the troops in the field. Among the viands considered essential was a pint and a half of harsh native pepper per man.